Judge dismisses ACLU lawsuit over Hawaii election

HONOLULU — The Hawaii Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit seeking to allow voters on the storm-damaged Big Island to vote, the Associated Press reported.

The court said in an opinion released today that it didn’t have jurisdiction to grant the relief sought by the American Civil Liberties Union with the lawsuit.

The ACLU had asked the court to allow voters who couldn’t make it to the polls on Election Day to cast ballots. They say voters were disenfranchised because they were blocked into their communities by fallen trees and downed power lines caused by Tropical Storm Iselle.

The court also says that the plaintiffs conceded that they did not meet the terms of a typical election contest.

An ACLU spokeswoman said the organization was not immediately available for comment.